7 things you might not know about EPOS systems

We’re all familiar with the old-school tills of yesteryear, that memorable ‘ding’ when the cash register opened, the shop assistant manually inputting the price of each item sold, and some of you might even remember a time when tills were cash only. 

Flash forward to the present day and such a system can seem pretty prehistoric thanks to the introduction of POS till systems. Electronic point of sale (EPOS) systems have revolutionised payments, making them quicker, simpler and safer than ever before. 

They’re not just some technological-age gimmick either, and we’ll explain why these super-systems are worth their weight in gold with these seven facts you might not know about EPOS. 

Disclaimer: Like with everything these days, there’s a competitive market of EPOS providers and each system will vary slightly, so to keep things simple all the info we give here will be true of the tPOS system that we supply.

1. They don’t have to cost the earth

In days gone by you could expect to fork out anywhere from a couple of hundred to a couple of thousand pounds for a cash register, meaning a substantial outlay for businesses. Today though, you can get your hands on an EPOS system through us from £45 a month, with an initial payment of £250.

Good to know: The monthly amount you pay will vary depending on the system and version you purchase. 

2. They require minimal maintenance

If something went wrong with your POS system you wouldn’t need to fret about footing the repairs bill or working out how to fix it yourself - lord knows business owners have enough on their plate as it is, any EPOS provider (like us) worth their salt would quickly and seamlessly repair or replace your device as soon as the next working day. 

You won’t need to worry about keeping your system’s software up-to-date either, that’s dealt with and overseen by your provider at no extra cost. 

3. They take the hassle out of running a business

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, running a business is no mean feat. But did you know an EPOS system can ease your load? Here’s how:

Stock

We’ll never understand how a business owner manually keeps track of their stock levels while dealing with customers, sales and staff, it’s quite frankly superhuman. But we all know it’d be a nightmare to run out of a best-seller and lose a sale. 

With an EPOS system, those days are gone because it shows you how much stock you have left as you make sales. Better yet, you can set up alerts and automated purchase orders on your system, so you’re never left high and dry again.  

Staff

No business owner can be on their premises 24/7, after all, there are countless other things to be getting on with behind the scenes. If you ever find yourself wanting to keep tabs on who’s manning the fort when you’re not around, an EPOS system can help.

Using the system, employees can clock in and out so you’ll always know who’s at the helm (and you’ll have access to this information from anywhere with an internet connection). This data will also make paying your staff simpler too since you’ll know exactly how many hours were logged. 

Reports

There are loads of custom reports you can set up on an EPOS system including sales, staff performance and inventory data. Using this will save you time when it comes to your accounts and the taxman, as well as the aforementioned stock-taking benefits. Staff performance reports will also show you who’s selling what, allowing you to quickly and painlessly rectify any training gaps. 

4. You can access them remotely

As we said, you won’t always be in one place, but not everyone realises that with an EPOS till that won’t slow you down since you can log into your system at any time from any internet-enabled device. 

With secure cloud backup and web portal, you can keep tabs on what’s going on, make amends, and ensure things are running smoothly even when you’re not there in person. Simply put, they allow you to keep an eye on your business while you crack on with other important jobs, it’s a win-win. 

5. You can customise them to your business

No two businesses are the same, so why should their payment systems be? With an EPOS till system you can create customised dashboards, allowing you quick and easy access to information pertinent to your business so you can monitor performance. With this nifty tech, it’s not a once size fits all approach.

Whether you need an EPOS system as a standalone system or you’d want it hooked up to a card machine, barcode scanner or otherwise, the world’s your oyster as the system links up to your devices. All so you can create the perfect custom payments solution for your business. 

6. They’ll help keep your customers happy

Maybe you fancy a shiny new payments system but you don’t think you can justify it from a business stance. Wrong. Happy customers equal healthy bank accounts, and an EPOS system will help with that too. How? In two ways:

1. You’ll be ready to accept the latest payment types - Did you know almost 50% of consumers would walk away from a sale if they couldn’t pay the way they wanted to? So, unless you’re set up to accept cash, card and contactless, you could be costing yourself sales. The good news is EPOS systems accept all the above as standard. 
2. It’ll help you build customer loyalty - A loyal customer base is a holy grail for business owners and with an EPOS system, you’ll be one step closer to getting your hands on it. Why? Because it lets you to collect customer data that you can use to tailor your offerings, allowing for unique experiences.

7. They help boost your bottom line

Let’s be honest, a healthy bank account is the name of the game for any business owner, but it’s not common knowledge that an EPOS system could actually aid that goal. How? By saving you time and money. 

All of the above points alone (less time stock-taking, managing staff, compiling reports, etc.) will make you a more effective business owner and save you time, but the benefits don’t stop there:

• Some providers (spoiler, us) will offer you ongoing training for your system free of charge, so you’ll save yourself time when it comes to the running of your machine. 
• An EPOS system allows you to analyse trends that you can use to develop and improve your offerings, ultimately bolstering your sales. 
• Your package will be tailored to your business (with us, anyway) so you won’t be paying over the odds, simply the right amount to suit your business. 

Like the sound of less hassle, happier customers and healthier bottom lines? To get the ball rolling contact our experts on 08082 393254 today.

Bryony Pearce

Copywriter